


Ill Met by Moonlight

by Moiraine_Lendreth



Series: The Prince Saga Trilogy [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-04
Updated: 2012-09-04
Packaged: 2017-11-13 12:58:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/503781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moiraine_Lendreth/pseuds/Moiraine_Lendreth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hunted by the Snake lord who murdered their parents and conquered the throne that was theirs by right, Itachi and Sasuke seeks help from the reigning king of Earth country...and receive it in the form of a loud, rude guide. AU, prequel to The Prince Saga trilogy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ill Met by Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimers: All Naruto names, places, and related indicia are copyrighted to Masashi Kishimoto. The plot, writing style, and Alternate Universe (AU) elements are the intellectual properties of the authoress.
> 
> Warnings: Rated T for mild language and a smidgen of violence. Also, this story is aptly classified an AU fic, since although Naruto characters were used, the story revolves around a universe entirely created by the authoress.
> 
> Surprisingly enough, no pairings. Those will come later, in the trilogy. Maybe there are hints if you squint enough?
> 
> I repeat: this story is a prequel to The Prince Saga Trilogy.

# Ill Met by Moonlight

### A Naruto Fanfiction

"Your highness, the First Prince asks for your presence in the library."

Sasuke Uchiha, exiled prince of the Sound Kingdom, looked up from gazing at the fireplace, to see Mistress Chenley at the door, her weathered old face slightly frowning when her eyes landed on the untouched breakfast tray near Sasuke. Mistress Chenley had not changed a whit since Sasuke first saw her at the Uchiha Palace, always wearing a simple cotton dress of dark blue it was almost black under a crisp, white apron, the Uchiha crest stitched neatly on the left breast. The deep red sash that hung on her right shoulder distinguished her as the First Servant, who oversees all the activities necessary to ensure that everything in the palace went smoothly.

But they were not in the Uchiha Palace anymore, and Mistress Chenley was only one of five servants in the house. But she still insists on wearing the sash, saying it was her duty. Neither Sasuke nor the First Prince had the heart to tell her otherwise. Telling her to stop wearing the sash meant they had given up, and both princes had sworn over their parents' corpses they would never give up until the throne was in Itachi's hands, or they would die in the attempt.

"Your highness?"

Mistress Chenley's frown was more pronounced now. Sasuke shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. "Tell my brother I am coming." He stood from the comfortable arm chair and waited for Mistress Chenley's nod before following her out the door.  
The thud of Sasuke's boots was dulled by the strip of threadbare blue carpet on the wood paneled floor as he walked down the hallway and turned a corridor, to a pair of oak double doors flanked by two soldiers in lacquered black breastplates and helmets rimmed in red. There was nothing different in their uniforms to distinguish them from other soldiers, except for their long, slender swords sheathed in black lacquered wood and tasseled with red and white rope. These were members of the Sonata of Swords, the royal family's personal army, loyal only to those born of the Uchiha clan. Seeing them brought another pang of loss to Sasuke; originally there were five hundred of the Sonata. After the conquest of Sound kingdom, barely fifty were left, and those in hiding here, along with Sasuke and his older brother.

The thought made anger surge white hot through the young prince. He would never give up. They **will** take the throne back, or die.

 

Both soldiers stood to attention upon Sasuke's approach, their eyes hard as steel and faces hewn from rock. Mistress Chenley opened the doors and held it open for Sasuke.

Long before the Uchiha clan ruled Sound kingdom their family had already been prosperous. Scattered all over Sound and the surrounding territories, even minor branches managed to live prosperous lives away from political circles. Sasuke's mother was no different. Before she had been married to Fugaku, firstborn of the 12th generation of the main family, she was the sole daughter of a prosperous wine merchant, distinctly related to the Uchihas by her great grandmother's marriage. The summer house they were currently staying in had been her marriage dowry before becoming Queen.

Although called a summer house, Sasuke reckoned it would be more appropriate to call it an estate. It sat on a low hill overlooking acres of vineyards and pasture for sheep. Not discreet enough for the endangered princes to stay in, true, but it was located on the fringes of the northern borders of the Dukedom of Lightning, at the foot of the Blackteeth mountain range. Add the fact that the Uchiha clan owned hundreds of vineyards across Sound, Lightning, and Water, and it was near impossible for the princes to be found. If anyone was even looking, that is.

Since the estate was Uchiha property, the house crest was visible everywhere, even in the library. The Uchiha white-and-red fan was carved on the door, the corners of tables, and sculpted into the marble mantel over the fireplace. Sasuke's dark eyes scanned through the room, noting the crests, wondering if his mother or grandfather had ever thought he and Itachi would be here, hiding for their lives. He almost snorted. Maybe not.

Out of the corner of Sasuke's eye, Mistress Chenley hurried to a wooden sideboard carved in grapevines and bustled about; Sasuke supposed she was making tea. Or maybe preparing wine, given the people already in the room.

The library was the second-largest room in the house, seventy paces long and fifty across, the walls covered from top to bottom in books, except for the far end where a large marble fireplace had a roaring fire in the hearth. The walls were dark varnished wood, and the floor was covered in a rich burgundy carpet from Earth country. The center space was covered by a large, heavy oval table and fifteen high-backed chairs, five of which were already occupied.

At the head of the table sat Itachi Uchiha, First Prince of the Sound kingdom, rumored to have been killed when the Snake lord Orochimaru attacked the capital and took the throne. A smile crossed his pale face at Sasuke's arrival, and he gestured to the empty seat on his right. "Sasuke, we were just about to start."

"Hn." Sasuke gave his brother a nod and walked to his seat, his eyes scanning the other attendees. Kakashi Hatake, Captain of the Sonata of Swords was there, his distinct crown of gray-silver hair and black face mask marking him out instantly. Kakashi was Itachi and Sasuke's tutor in swordsmanship, and Itachi's closest confidant. When Orochimaru attacked and murdered the entire clan, it was Kakashi who had helped the brothers escape by faking their deaths and hiding them away here, although how Kakashi knew of this estate was beyond Sasuke. The man hid a great many secrets behind his mask, though he hardly made his perverse love of erotic novels one of them. Sasuke disliked that about the man, but his skills with a blade was unmatched by any save Itachi.

Kakashi looked up, his one visible eye crinkling into what Sasuke thought of as a smile, raising one hand in greeting. Sasuke only nodded in response.

Beside Kakashi sat his lieutenant, Tenzo Yamato, who prefers to be called simply as Yamato. He was a lean man in his late twenties, with a sickly pale complexion and a face that hardly ever changes expression. Sasuke often has difficulty reading Yamato's emotion, since the man rarely speaks or is rarely seen around the estate. Kakashi often tells him that Yamato prefers working alone, which would explain why Sasuke never sees him anywhere except with his captain.

On the seat next to Sasuke's was Kurenai Yuhi, a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and remarkably red eyes. Rumors have sprung because of them, the most prominent being that she was a bastard child of the Uchiha clan, though in truth she was born from a farming family. Her eyes were a result of a minor accident during her mage training. She was one of the youngest mages to be elected on the roster of mages directly under the authority of the king, noted for her mastery of illusions. The conquest of Sound made her the sole survivor of that roster. She smiled gently at Sasuke, but after a few moments the smile was gone, replaced by a cool, stone-faced look.

The last occupied chair stood at the other end of the table, apart from the rest. Sasuke studied the man carefully. An average merchant, by the looks of him, slightly pudgy, with watery brown eyes and a clean-shaven face. He was clearly nervous; his eyes flitted this way and that, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips several times. At Sasuke's arrival his eyes grew wide. So the man probably believed he and Itachi were dead all these years, eh? So why would Itachi let the man see them? A cool look from Kurenai made the man return his attention towards Itachi, who seemed amused.

Sasuke held back a snort. Likely his brother wanted to tease the poor man some more. As Sasuke took his seat he turned to his brother. "Who is this?"

It was Kakashi who answered, confirming what Sasuke had already suspected. "One of our spies in Earth country, your highness. A trade merchant by the name of Shin Tavelor. Isn't that right, Master Tavelor?"

Sasuke's eyes turned to the merchant, who bobbed his head eagerly, a nervous smile on his face. Both of his hands were tugging on the edge of his soft gray woolen coat, still slightly dusty from travel. "That I am, my lord."

Itachi shared a look with Sasuke, then gestured expansively with his hands. "Well, go on then, man. What have you to report?"  
The man seemed startled to have been addressed by the First Prince—a man thought to have been dead for eight years, but the unmistakable scarlet eyes with swirling black and the aristocratic features and pale skin marked him as an Uchiha—and rummaged almost frantically through his pockets. "Your er—your highness—I came here to deliver this."

On the table, he laid a yellow envelope sealed with red wax.

Yamato stood and took the envelope in his hands, turning it this way and that. Finding nothing suspicious, he placed the letter on the table and pushed it in Kurenai's direction. "What do you think, Lady Kurenai?"

Everyone watched as the mage placed a hand above the envelope, a soft blue glow surrounding both her hand and the envelope in question. Sasuke saw Tavelor swallow nervously, one hand wiping sweat from his forehead.

After a few minutes Kurenai stirred, taking the envelope in her hand and passing it onto Kakashi. "I could sense no trapped spell or illusion in it," she said, her voice as cool as her composure. She shot a hard glance at the merchant, making him squeak.

"Well, let's have a look then." Kakashi twisted his wrist, and a small knife appeared in his hand. Sasuke frowned; he had tried to make Kakashi teach him that several times before, but the man insisted that knife-handling was not meant to be taught to princes. When Kakashi saw Sasuke's scowl, his eyes crinkled into a smile. Sasuke's only response was to scowl even further.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the silent exchange. "Something wrong, Sasuke?" he asked in a mild, almost bored tone. But Sasuke could see in Itachi's Sharingan-activated eyes that he was actually curious. Sasuke shook his head shallowly.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Itachi." Sasuke looked at his brother in the eye, then shot a quick glance at Kakashi. Itachi's eyes widened a crack before his face resumed its normal, blank look. He understood. "Very well." He turned to Kakashi. "What does the letter contain?"

Kakashi had already flipped open the envelope with his knife, the wax seal intact. "It is a letter from the king, your highness." Kakashi's tone was bland, but Sasuke could see that his one visible eye was hard and shining. Everyone, excluding Sasuke and Itachi, straightened in their seats, all attention on the letter.

There was only one sheet of creamy white parchment. Sasuke could not see the contents, and Kakashi's face was carefully kept blank, so he could not even guess what was inside. It must be important though; for several years they have tried to make Earth rally to their side, to usurp the Snake lord. Each and every time they got a polite, firm refusal. They had tried everything short of coercion; Kakashi was already tempted to do just that, but Itachi was having none of it. Earth was an ally of Sound; their refusal to help only meant that they were wary of drawing the Snake lord's attention, and with good reason. Sound was a powerful nation, its army famed for great exploits in battle. To be so utterly defeated by a man with an army barely a fraction of Sound's own…it was unthinkable. But it had happened, and now the other kingdoms grow wary and fearful. Oh, Sound has made no more movement to conquer more lands, and trade has become more or less stable again, but the underlying threat was there. If Sound could be beaten, then so can the others…

 

A gasp from Kakashi pulled Sasuke abruptly from his thoughts. The Sonata captain turned to look at the merchant, his face hard. "Is this true?"

Tavelor bit back a whimper of fear at Kakashi's hard, piercing gaze, and nodded. "Y-yes, my lord."

"When did this happen?"

"About a m-month ago. No one knows what happened. Rumors—rumors say he was p-poisoned in his sleep."

Kakashi did not say anymore, only handed the letter to Itachi, who began to read the letter in earnest, his face showing no expression. Sasuke looked to Kakashi. "What did the letter say?"

Kakashi did not stray his eyes from the merchant as he replied. "The Earth king is dead. Killed in his sleep."

"What?" Sasuke's dark eyes widened a fraction. "Who?"

"We will discuss this more carefully later," Itachi said to the room, cutting short Sasuke's interrogation of Kakashi. The tomoe in his eyes spun slowly as he regarded Tavelor, who had leaned back into his chair in fear. Itachi smiled softly, falsely. "Do not be afraid, Master Tavelor. You have done well to deliver the letter. But tell me…how did you manage to get a hold of it?"

Sasuke saw Tavelor's eyes grew unfocused as he looked at Itachi's spinning Sharingan. The others were looking down on the table's surface, even Kurenai. Sasuke, being an Uchiha himself, was immune to the Sharingan's hypnotizing effect.

"A m-man gave it to me your h-highness. Found me in m-my rooms, he did. Gave me the letter and told me to d-deliver this letter. Personally."

Sasuke sat back, startled. As if reading his thoughts, Itachi asked Tavelor, "Did he know you were working for…us?"

The merchant trembled in his seat, his eyes unable to drift away from Itachi's. "I d-don't know, your highness. I think so. He never asked, just gave me the letter."

"Hmm." Itachi seemed to think about it for a moment. "And he told you to give the letter to me?"

Sasuke tensed. No one in Kakashi's spy network knew that he and Itachi were alive; for all they know Kakashi and the rest of the Sonatas were planning a rebellion all on their own. Only a handful of people knew they had faked their deaths, and almost all of them were in the library. If Tavelor answered yes, that meant a spy was in their midst.

Sasuke almost let out a sigh of relief when the merchant shook his head no. "The m-man told me to give the letter to wh-whoever I was supposed to report to." Tavelor swallowed audibly, wiping sweat from his brow with his hand again. "I t-told him I didn't know what h-he was talking about. And he just smiled and gave me the letter before disappearing from my sight. Like an apparition, he was."

Sasuke turned this over in his head. Kakashi's network of spies knew no one else in the chain except Kakashi himself, who took their reports by bird carrier, or by visiting the spy himself. It was only natural that the merchant would come looking for Kakashi, but… "Kakashi, did Master Tavelor come here?"

Kakashi shook his head. "We met where we usually do, and that was when he showed me the letter. When I saw the Earth crest, I thought it would be wise to bring him here. Not that he knows where we are, of course."

Sasuke nodded, satisfied. He trusted Kakashi to be careful about keeping their location hidden. He glanced back at Itachi, whose Sharingan was still activated and trained on the merchant. Sasuke held back a slight smirk. Not that the merchant would have any memories of this meeting after tonight.

"Can you tell me what he looked like?" Itachi asked.

The man shook his head again. "He w-was hidden by shadows, and his face was b-behind a mask, your highness. His voice sounded y-young though, maybe no more than twenty years. And—" He wrung his hands. "And he h-had tails, your highness."  
Eyebrows rose, even Itachi's and Sasuke's. Kurenai leaned slightly towards the merchant, careful not to even glance at Itachi's eyes. "Tails?"

The merchant bobbed his head up and down. "I—I'm not lying, your ladyship. I s-saw them! F-four tails, they were. Like a fox's."

"A fox…" murmured Kakashi, his eyebrows furrowed. Sasuke stared incredulously at him.

"Don't tell me you believe this nonsense, Kakashi. It's obviously an illusion meant to deceive Tavelor."

Kakashi ignored the prince for the moment and looked at Tavelor. "Did you see his hands? Was he carrying a sword?" Sasuke looked oddly at Kakashi, but wisely chose not to comment. For now.

"I d-didn't see, my lord. But I am certain he was not w-wearing a sword."

Kakashi lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. Sasuke glanced from Tavelor to his brother, frowning. "Itachi?"

"Later, Sasuke," Itachi admonished softly. Sasuke's cheeks tinged slightly pink as he settled back on his seat, fists clenching. "Master Tavelor, look at me."

The poor merchant looked at Itachi, gasping when the tomoe began swirling faster. His eyes widened, he let out a gasp, and his body slumped against the chair, unconscious. Itachi signaled with a hand, and two more Sonata members who had stood half-hidden in the shadows behind Itachi hauled the merchant to his feet with little difficulty.

"Take him back. I'm sure Kakashi has told you where." The soldiers nodded, faces hard and blank, their white-and-red tasseled blades obvious against the black armor. The unconscious merchant's head bobbed between them, his muddy boots dragging on the floor.

Mistress Chenley suddenly appeared by Sasuke's side, tsking. "I will set someone to clean the floors later," she mused almost to herself, then laid a tray filled with tea, a plate of bread, cheese, and butter, and a bowl of honeyed apples in front of Sasuke. "Your highness, it seems in your haste you had forgotten to break your fast this morning."

Sasuke stiffened, glowering at the woman, who seemed unaffected. Only now did Sasuke notice that everyone else had a goblet of wine at their side. But he was given tea—tea! With breakfast!—as if he had been a petulant child intent on skipping his meals. He wanted to tell Mistress Chenley that he was not hungry in the slightest, but he knew the woman would not budge. Servant she may be, but she had attended to Itachi and Sasuke since they were babes. Not even reminding her of his position as prince would make her take back the tray. With a resigned sigh Sasuke speared an apple with a fork.

Itachi's eyes had already returned to its usual onyx black, and he was smiling at Sasuke. "Give in, little brother. Even I cannot make Mistress Chenley change her mind."

"Hn." Sasuke sat straight in his seat, chewing on the apple. He winced at the generous helping of honey, but forced himself to swallow. He would not sulk—princes do not sulk—and washed away the sweet taste with the tea. At least Mistress Chenley did not add too much sugar into the brew.

Mistress Chenley was suddenly there again, this time bearing another breakfast tray and setting it in front of Itachi, taking his goblet of wine in the process. "I'm flattered that his highness thinks highly of me," she murmured loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. "I would be happier if he does not deliberately avoid eating as well."

Kakashi coughed into his hand, suspiciously sounding like a laugh, and Kurenai smiled, sharing a look with Mistress Chenley, who smiled back before leaving the room. Even Sasuke smirked into his tea, careful not to meet Itachi's eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his brother frowning, a slight tinge of pink on his face.

As Itachi took up a slice of bread and began to spread butter thinly on it, Kakashi straightened in his chair. "So. What do we do now?"

Sasuke put down his tea cup. "I think it's about time we make contact with Earth again."

Kurenai turned to him. "That is all well and good your highness, but how? If the king is dead, Earth kingdom would most probably be uneasy right now, especially since the threat of occupation still exists for as long as the Snake lord remains."  
Yamato leaned closer to the table, one hand swirling his wine cup that was still full. "Maybe we should send a letter back. What do you think, Prince Itachi?"

Itachi took a bite of the bread and swallowed before answering. "A letter might fall into the wrong hands. Not that I am undermining your spies, Kakashi," he added. "But this mysterious person delivering Gaara's letter tells us that there are those who know the existence of spies working for Sound. At the very worst, we can assume that this person—perhaps others as well—know that I and my brother are still alive and in hiding."

Everyone paused to think it over, knowing what Itachi said rang true. Kakashi frowned, tapping a finger on the table. "So sending a letter back is out of the question…any ideas?"

"What if we went to see prince Gaara personally?" Sasuke suggested, his tone mild, although inside he hoped his brother would agree. He hated being cooped up inside the house—and he had been cooped up in different estates for _seven years_ —knowing there was something he could do. "Although now I think we should call him king. Gaara is the heir to Earth's throne, isn't he?"

"Yes," Kurenai confirmed. "Although it is rather peculiar—I believe the prince has two older siblings, princess Temari and prince Kankuro."

"Peculiar, but not unheard of. Doubtless their father had reasons," Itachi said. He turned to Sasuke. "I agree with you, little brother. I believe meeting Gaara would be the only way."

"Thank you. Although I would appreciate it if you stopped calling me 'little', Itachi. I am hardly a child," Sasuke replied, frowning slightly. He was already eighteen, after all.

Itachi smiled at him, a true smile, and ruffled Sasuke's hair, much to the younger brother's irritation. "Until you stop pouting like a sulking child, I will continue calling you 'little brother'…little brother."

"Itachi!"

Kakashi sighed. "Anyway, going to Earth will be difficult. We cannot be sure where that snake bastard's put his own spies—we can be assured he has at least a handful inside Earth's borders. Plenty more inside the capital."

"Here." Itachi handed the letter back to Kakashi. "Read it again."

Kakashi obeyed, reading the letter more slowly. His eyebrows shot up. "King Gaara wishes to talk…and he is willing to send someone as a guide?"

Itachi nodded. He took a sip of the tea. Kurenai's face bore a relieved expression. "This is a good sign, your highness."

Sasuke nodded. "But how are we going to tell him that we agree?"

"Give the letter to Sasuke."

Kakashi handed Sasuke the letter. Upon touching the parchment Sasuke his eyebrows rose. "There is a spell in it."

Itachi smiled, pleased that his brother detected it quickly. "Yes. Gaara says that if we agree to meet, we should burn the letter."

"Hn." As he read the letter, Sasuke extended his magic senses, trying to figure out the spell. It was simple magic that forged a bond between the parchment and another object. If the parchment was burned, the thing it was bonded to would burn as well. Ingeniously simple. "It's a simple bond spell, but the making of it is unfamiliar to me."

"May I?" Kurenai asked, extending her hand. Sasuke passed the letter to her. She handled it in both hands, her brow furrowing in concentration. "Yes, I see what you mean. The bond spell we know is different from this one. For one thing, this is untraceable, and used so little magic that it's a wonder you were able to sense it, your highness."

"I don't think I would have detected it if I was not so intent on reading the letter," Sasuke admitted. He looked at his brother. "So we are going to Earth?"

"Yes," the First Prince replied.

Kakashi nodded. "I'll arrange for twenty of the Sonatas to accompany us."

"No," Itachi said, firmly. "No guards. I will allow only you and Yamato to come with us, Kakashi."

Kakashi frowned, not liking the idea of his kingdom's last living Uchiha descendants to travel with so little protection. "Your highness, the roads are dangerous, especially for you. Orochimaru might—"

"He would more easily spot a large party traveling than a small one," Itachi cut in, his dark eyes unyielding as he looked at Kakashi. "A small group is easier to hide."

"But—"

"Kakashi, I am well aware this is a risk, but you said so yourself that Orochimaru has spies set inside Earth country. We will have an easier time avoiding their notice if there are few of us." Itachi drank some tea before continuing. "If it makes you happier, Kurenai shall be coming with us as well."

Kakashi frowned, thinking about it. He looked at Kurenai, who shrugged. "I shall go where my duty takes me," she said simply. When Kakashi remained frowning, she sighed. "Of course that means I shall weave a constant shield around the princes. Even if it means I end up dead tired every night," she added with a grumble.

Kakashi's face eased. Having a mage with the princes is worth more than a hundred soldiers, and not just because there are so very few of them. Kurenai's magic-lore ensured that both Itachi and Sasuke would survive the journey. Although Sasuke could cast spells himself, he was still in training under Kurenai. Having the royal mage in the party made Kakashi rest easier.  
"Very well," he relented. "When will we leave?"

Itachi smiled. "After we burn the letter…within three hours."

Sasuke looked at him. "That fast?"

"I am assuming whoever Gaara will send is an accomplished mage—I can only think that a Translocation spell would be able to send a person from Earth to this location in so short a time."

Kurenai hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps he is sending along the person who had given the letter to Kakashi's spy."

Itachi inclined his head. "Possibly."

Speaking of that person…Sasuke looked at Kakashi. "Why did you ask your spy those unusual questions?"

Kakashi blinked as if taken aback. He scratched at the back of his head. "Well… it was just an idea."

"What idea?"

"Oh, nothing," Kakashi replied. "It was just a passing thought."

Sasuke frowned, knowing it was a lie. "Kakashi…" he warned in a low tone.

Itachi was also watching Kakashi. "You thought whoever it was might have been from Hidden Leaf, didn't you?"

Kakashi shot a glance at Itachi, frowning. Sasuke turned from Kakashi to Itachi, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You have heard something of Kakashi's past, haven't you?" Itachi began, turning to Sasuke, who nodded. "Then you've heard that Kakashi did not train his swordsmanship in Sound, but in Fire." Sasuke nodded again.

"That is partly correct. The majority of his training took place in Hidden Leaf."

Sasuke, Kurenai, and even Yamato stared at Kakashi as if he had grown another head. The Sonata captain grinned sheepishly, despite the mask covering most of his face. "Don't look at me like that."

"But in Hidden Leaf—! Kakashi, how in the name of the spirits did you get in?" Kurenai asked with wide eyes. "The entire island is covered in a storm of violent spells that only those born in Hidden Leaf could safely pass through!"

"I was only a child when I first got there, so I couldn't even remember what he did when he took me as an apprentice," Kakashi answered, a bit irritated. He did not like people prodding into his past; he valued his privacy, thank you very much. "I was seven then. He taught me how to handle a sword for five years before he sent me to my sword master in Fire. And I only stayed in the outlying village on the island, so I didn't get to see much."

"But to have stepped inside Hidden Leaf!" Kurenai gasped, half awed, half envious.

"Who took you in?" Sasuke asked.

"He never gave me his name," Kakashi replied. "He only wanted me to call him 'Teacher'. He was human, I suppose—"

"Then it's true that there are still elves?" Kurenai asked, eyes shining. "And dwarves and elementals in the island?"

Kakashi frowned at her. "Look. Do you want me to tell you the story or not?" When Kurenai blushed and returned to her seat without saying another word, Kakashi continued. "Yes, there are elves, dwarves, and elementals—Teacher called them fae and nature spirits—in Hidden Leaf. I don't know why, but they only leave the island to trade with the Fire nation and no one else, so I guess that's why most people in the mainland don't believe they exist anymore. And they do that very rarely. I can remember seeing a merchant caravan leaving the island only twice during my entire stay there.

"Like I said, Teacher looked human enough. There were humans in Hidden Leaf, of course, but Teacher was a bit different. For one, his hands had sharp nails, and he has six fox tails. And he was the only one among them who wore a sword. When I asked, he said that very select people are taught and allowed to use a sword—everyone else used other weapons." He looked at Sasuke. "That's why I asked Tavelor those questions. I thought that maybe Gaara had some sort of connection with Hidden Leaf."  
Sasuke studied Kakashi for a moment. "You were hoping to contact this Teacher of yours again, right?"

Kakashi sighed. "Yes. It's too much to hope for, though. There's not even a rumor about any Hidden Leaf citizen going farther than Fire country's port city."

Sasuke considered Kakashi's words. Hidden Leaf kingdom was completely isolated from the mainland, not only because it was located on an island, but because it was covered in a powerful and violent storm of unchecked spells the casting of which had been lost for thousands of years. Hidden Leaf was cloaked in a thousand year-old mystery; several legends and myths have sprung from this—about dangerous beasts and bloodthirsty savages living inside, and countless treasure waiting to be picked. But there was always one thing the myths and the legends agree on: three hundred years ago, people of the Hidden Leaf crossed the narrow strip of sea to the mainland, and taught the people magic. After that they went back into seclusion, only leaving the island to trade with Fire, and that they do extremely rarely. No one knows anything about them. No one dared ask, even.

"Well," came Itachi's voice, disrupting Sasuke's thoughts, "Hidden Leaf citizen or not, our guide will appear three hours after I burn the letter. Which means we have little time left to pack and get ready, because I intend to throw this parchment straight into the fireplace after I finish eating my breakfast."

#### Ill Met by Moonlight

Gaara's guide might be a talented mage, but he was ridiculously late.

They were all there, in the library again, their packs ready and placed in a jumble on the table. Mistress Chenley had placed a tray of cool, spiced wine nearby before bowing before Itachi and Sasuke, saying that she would await for news of them here. She also assured both princes that the estate will be well taken care of, along with the rest of the Sonata soldiers, to Kakashi's relief. No one doubted she would do her duties. She was First Servant through and through, palace or not.

The clock above the mantel chimed sweet tones. Sasuke frowned at it. "Our guide is late," he snapped. "He should have been here half an hour ago."

"Patience, little brother," Itachi commented from his seat, reading a book on Earth kingdom's history.

"Maybe something went…wrong," Kurenai muttered. She was standing near one end of the table, her hands folded beneath her breast, a worried frown on her smooth, pretty face. Dark red eyes were trying to bore a hole in the fireplace where Gaara's letter had burned to ashes more than three hours ago.

Yamato made a noncommittal noise as he checked all his weapons again, making sure nothing was missing. "If there was, at least it happened before the guide met with their highnesses."

"Cold, aren't you, Yamato?" Kakashi asked dryly from his own seat, the one he had taken earlier that morning.

"Just being practical, captain. Prince Itachi and Prince Sasuke's safety comes first, after all."

Kakashi nodded, his face serious. The Sonata of Swords pledged loyalty not to the kingdom, but to the entire line of the Uchiha clan. All Sonatas had been chosen by birth, and taught all throughout their lives that the safety of the Uchiha clan—the main family most of all—was more important than their own lives. Except Kakashi, all members were children of previous Sonata soldiers, but all of them were loyal. To the last man.

Which is why, Kakashi thought bitterly, only a handful of them were left after Orochimaru wrenched the crown off Fugaku Uchiha's lifeless body. Jerking himself from such gloomy thoughts, he forced a smile on his face, his eyes crinkling.

"Nevertheless, let's just wait for the guide a while longer. It's still early."

Sasuke snorted. "Considering this is you talking Kakashi, I would have to agree, don't I?"

"I'm hurt, your highness. When have I ever been late?"

Sasuke scowled at him. "Continue being cheek with me and I'll assure you that you will never be late **again**. Or be alive to even attempt being tardy."

Itachi sighed. Kurenai shook her head. Yamato glanced at his captain, then the younger prince, before resuming counting the number of knives he had hidden in his person.

Sasuke continued glaring at Kakashi who only shrugged and grinned cheekily at the prince. True, Kakashi was Itachi's childhood friend and had seen both princes during their worst—especially during their seven-year self-imposed exile—but Sasuke was still the prince! Granted, without Kakashi the Sonatas would be like headless chickens left squawking in the coop, but his impertinence was too much!

Suddenly the fire in the hearth, which was crackling a good foot in the air, snuffed out like a candle wick. Everyone stopped, staring at the fireplace, which now had only embers.

A fizzle of magic. Both Sasuke and Kurenai took in sharp breaths, but only Kurenai spoke. "I think our guide is here."

Sasuke swallowed whatever it was he meant to say and watched the fireplace. The embers were quickly cooling into dark charcoal, the magic he sensed working quickly. He held his breath.

A single, yellow-brown maple leaf dropped gracefully from the chimney and floated into the room, twirling in nonexistent air, before settling on the table nearest where Sasuke stood. Everyone's eyes turned to him.

With a slight frown Sasuke took the leaf in his hands. Something was written on one side, the letters curling gracefully. It seemed to have been burned into the leaf, although how that was managed Sasuke could not say. Probably magic, but if it was, it would need extreme control for the spell not to have burned the leaf through.

> I will meet you near the border. For now my little friend will guide you; she is waiting outside.

Sasuke looked up to four eyes watching him. "Our guide will meet us when we get to the border of Lightning."

Itachi raised his eyebrow. Sasuke added, "He sent his friend to accompany us in the meantime." He glanced at the leaf again. Little friend?

Itachi glanced at the leaf as well. Sasuke handed it to him, but the moment it touched Itachi's fingers the leaf curled in on itself, withering so quickly it crumbled into tiny pieces before Itachi could grab it entirely. Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction, though his lips thinned. "Hn."

Kurenai peered at the tiny pieces fluttering to the floor. "Maybe it was spelled?" she asked, almost to herself.

"Perhaps," Itachi said. "Let us go."

The command, however softly it was given, had an immediate effect. Kakashi and Yamato stood up abruptly, grabbing most of the bags on the table, leaving Sasuke and Itachi to carry nothing, and Kurenai to sling her personal bag over her shoulder. It contained most of her personal items, as well as a spell book or two. Sasuke suspected it would carry rolls of parchment, ink bottle, and quill, too. Kurenai never let anyone else touch those.

Kakashi turned down the servants' attempts to carry the bags for him, saying he did not need to be mollycoddled. The servants took it all in good stride, knowing Kakashi, but Mistress Chenley frowned disapprovingly at him. Perhaps because he said they were mollycoddling him. Sasuke was not sure.

Outside, in the front courtyard, two Sonatas and three groomsmen were holding the reins for their horses. All were purebred geldings, in either reddish brown or black—the best warhorse stock in Sound kingdom—except for Kurenai's gray mare. Sasuke saw that only his horse and Kurenai's frisked and whinnied, excited after being cooped in the stable for too long. Kakashi and Yamato's horses were still, perfectly disciplined, their tall necks straight. Even at a distance anyone could see these horses were more than just well-trained mounts. Itachi's horse, a black gelding, threw back its head and whickered at the sight of its owner. Itachi smiled, patting the horse on the nose. The horse calmed down immediately.

In no time at all Kakashi and Yamato had strapped the bags onto the saddles, and everyone was ready to leave. After Itachi left a few more instructions for Mistress Chenley— _If you must send a note, Mistress Chenley, tell one of the Sonatas; they will know how to contact Kakashi_ —and Kakashi left a few instructions of his own to the remaining Sonatas, they trotted off, circling the wide courtyard and cantering through the large, wrought-iron gates.

_The…note…said outside. Did he mean outside the estate?_ Kakashi was in the lead, beside Itachi, while Yamato brought up the rear. Both Sasuke and Kurenai were in the middle. The day was clear and cloudless, but slightly chilly because it was still the middle of Autumn. The hard-packed dirt road wound lazily in a north westerly direction, rows of vineyards stretching on both sides. The road was littered with shed leaves in various shades of yellow and brown, crunching underneath the horses' hooves as they passed.

It took a while for them to reach the border of the estate; by the time the stone markers were visible—a pair of tall posts carved with the Uchiha crest on one side—Kurenai had finished casting a mild warming spell around the princes. It took no effort for a mage of Kurenai's caliber, but when she casts a physical barrier around their group later on, it will need a constant feed of magic, which would leave her drained by evening.

Kakashi raised a hand as they rode in line with the stone markers, signaling a stop. He looked around, his one visible eye narrowing slightly, one hand casually lying over the sword hilt by his hip. Yamato did the same, only he was watching behind them. Kurenai tried to stand, craning her neck to see better.

"Do you see anything?" she asked Kakashi.

A shake of the head. "Not yet."

Silence followed his words, broken only by the stamping of hooves and the occasional breeze that rustled what little foliage remained on the trees lining the road. A few moments later Kakashi stirred, pulling on the reins so that his horse was facing the stone marker to their left. "Something's there. Stand back, Itachi."

Kakashi only ever called Itachi by his first name when he was truly serious, or when there was danger. Itachi wordlessly led his horse back a few paces until he was almost in line with Sasuke and Kurenai.

Something **did** move, rustling the bushes growing near the pillar of stone. When it came into view Kurenai gasped, her eyes going wide. Even Sasuke could not help staring.

It was a tiny human-like creature as tall as a forearm, with two translucent insect wings streaked with green protruding from its back, fluttering rapidly to keep it aloft. It was wearing a pale yellow dress edged with brown that covered it from the neck to the tip of its small bare feet, and pale green hair almost as long as she was. The creature was definitely female, Sasuke observed. It—she—had skin as green as summer grass, and slanted black eyes that glittered. As she flew closer, Sasuke saw that her dress was actually made of leaves stitched finely together. Her ears were pointed, the tips showing through her streaming hair.

The creature, whatever she was, smiled as she flitted closer, until she was level with Kakashi's face. She was close enough that Kakashi could grab her in one hand. "Cesly is here for the humans, yes?" Her lilting voice was musical and whispery at the same time, almost like the whoosh of a breeze blowing in your ear. "Cesly will help take the humans to the Earth king, she will." She spun once in the air, giggling, her wings shimmering in the daylight. Kakashi only stared at her.

Kurenai had ridden up to Kakashi's side, her eyes not leaving the winged creature. "What…what is it, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shook his head, as if to rid himself of muddy thoughts, a puzzled frown on his face. "She is a fae. An asparas, I think." He tugged on his mask. "I have never heard or seen one outside of Hidden Leaf before."

"Human knows something of Cesly, yes?" The asparas smiled wider. "But the human only scratched the surface, he did. Many things about Cesly he knows not." She flew closer, until she was near Kurenai, too. Tilting her head, she said in her lilting tone, "Human knows Cesly's name, but Cesly knows not theirs. What is your name, human?"

Kurenai seemed startled to have the fae speak to her, but she replied quickly. "I—er, my name is Kurenai Yuhi." She gestured to Kakashi. "This is Kakashi Hatake. That is First Prince Itachi Uchiha and his younger brother Prince Sasuke Uchiha. The one behind us is Yamato."

The asparan turned her curious face, listening and watching as Kurenai introduced everyone in the party. When Kurenai was done, the fae flew to Itachi, her small head tilted again. "Cesly did not know she was helping royalty of Sound, oh no. Pardon Cesly if she did not pay proper respects," she said, then promptly spread her skirts and made a graceful bow, her wings folding behind her.

Like a true prince Itachi acknowledged her bow with a dip of his head, a smile on his face. "No apology is needed, little one. We are, after all, traveling in secret. My title—as well as my brother's—must be kept hidden."

The asparan smiled back, straightening. Her black, pupil-less eyes glittered even more. "Then Cesly shall call you Itachi-human, and Itachi-human can call Cesly by her name."

"Alright. Cesly it is, then."

Cesly giggled, twirling in the air, seemingly pleased. She flew to Sasuke next. "Hello, Sasuke-human," she half sang, half whispered. A smile was still on her face.

Sasuke leaned back slightly, blinking. Recovering quickly from his surprise at finding the winged creature hovering in his face, he said, "A pleasure…Cesly."

Cesly's smile faded, and she frowned. "Sasuke-human, is something wrong?"

Sasuke almost raised his eyebrow at that. "No. Please forgive me, but this is the first time I have seen one of your kind. I am just…astounded."

The fae nodded, almost as if in agreement. "Cesly understands, Sasuke-human. Cesly was astounded too when she first saw the Outside—so many humans all in one place, and not a fae in sight! Cesly would have been very frightened, if master was not there." She looked at Sasuke. "Tell me, Sasuke-human, are you afraid of me?"

Sasuke blinked. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his brother, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Yamato watching the conversation. "No, I'm not," he answered truthfully.

Cesly smiled, her wings fluttering. "That is good, then. Cesly does not think she can be friends with Sasuke-human if he was afraid of her," she said, then giggled before flying off to Yamato.

Yamato frowned as the asparan drew near, his hand ready to snatch one of the knives hidden inside his sleeves. Cesly seemed to have sensed his wariness, because she stopped a good two paces from Yamato's face. Her smile turned soft. "Don't worry, Yamato-human, Cesly cannot hurt you. Cesly promised master she would help, she did."

The Sonata lieutenant stared hard at her, unblinking. At last he relaxed his stance, the frown on his face dissipating, but not gone entirely. He nodded, once. "Alright."

Cesly twirled in the air again, smiling. She seemed satisfied with his response. Flying off to Kakashi again, she turned to him, her black eyes trained onto his face. "Follow Cesly, Kakashi-human. Cesly will take you to her master." She pointed with one little hand. Not down the road. Towards the trees.

Kakashi's eyebrows rose. "Your master?"

"Yes. Cesly will take you to master. Master will lead you to the Earth king."

Itachi had ridden up his horse until he was beside Kakashi again. "That way leads northeast, Cesly. The border of Lightning lies to the west."

Cesly smiled a mysterious smile. "This is the safest way, Itachi-human. Do not worry. Master knows what he is doing."  
Kurenai frowned. She looked to Kakashi and the prince. "What now, your highness?"

Itachi looked silently at the fae, wings flittering rapidly, her face still smiling. "We go where she leads us." Cesly beamed, twirling several times in the air. A soft, cool breeze blew past them.

"A good decision, a good decision. Cesly will lead you to master in no time at all!"

"Are you sure this is wise, Itachi?" Sasuke asked softly as he rode up his horse to get near his brother, a slight frown on his face. "It could be a trap."

"Maybe. But if Orochimaru had known where we were, I do not think he would lead us to a useless chase through the woods before killing us both, little brother." He glanced beside him. "And Kakashi said this little one is from Hidden Leaf. An…asparan?"

At Kakashi's nod he continued. "That means whoever Cesly's master is, must have some connection with Hidden Leaf, and that makes it nigh impossible he is connected with Orochimaru."

Sasuke's brow furrowed deeper. "How would he be connected to Gaara?" They had both known Gaara since childhood, a royal child as much as they were. Sasuke was sure Gaara had never set foot outside of Earth kingdom, let alone go to Hidden Leaf as impossible as that may sound.

Itachi flicked the reins, and his horse started to walk. He looked at Sasuke. "That is something we must ask Gaara when he see him."

#### Ill Met by Moonlight

"Who is your master, Cesly?"

The fae grinned, her black beetle eyes crinkling as she fluttered beside Sasuke. "Master is master, Sasuke-human."

Sasuke held back the frown that threatened to break through. The fae answered his questions readily enough—now he knew that an asparan was one of four kinds of fae, and that they had elemental affinities—but whenever he asked something related to her master, she would answer with riddles, sometimes nonsensical lines delivered in a singsong, breathy tone that Sasuke was sure she was playing with him. In short, the asparan both amazed and irritated him.

He sighed instead, closing his eyes for a moment. "Is he human?"

"Master is both," Cesly replied, floating a bit ahead of him, both hands clasped behind her back. "Master is both."

Both? This time he could not help the annoyance lining his voice. A slight furrow appeared between his brows. "What do you mean both?"

The fae hummed, turning her head to look at Sasuke, a smile still on her face. If Cesly had not frowned at him earlier, Sasuke would have thought her face never did anything but smile. "Sasuke-human's question has two answers. Master is both."

This caused Sasuke to raise an eyebrow—the most he would allow of his emotion to show. He and Itachi were similar in that respect. "He is both human and not," he deadpanned. Cesly did not answer, only hummed.

Sasuke shook his head, sighing under his breath. Another answer full of rubbish. He would have to pry something _sensible_ out of her later, Sasuke decided, seeing Cesly flutter off to speak with Kurenai, who rode beside Sasuke, but far enough that he could not hear what they were talking about. It seemed the asparan was more comfortable speaking with humans who could wield magic. Oddly enough, she talked with Itachi as often as she did with Sasuke and Kurenai. Sasuke shrugged it off as something uniquely Itachi. His brother just attracted people to himself—human or not—and that was that.

Sasuke heard Kakashi's voice rise above the sound of horse hooves cantering. "Woah. Cesly, the mushrooms stop here."

Sasuke looked around. They were still in the woods, following no visible trail that he could see. The ground underfoot was carpeted thickly with golds and browns, and the smell of earth was rich and heavy in the air. Most of the trees around were already bare, a handful of yellowing leaves clinging to a few branches, while the evergreens stubbornly clung to their needles. Below and to the right of him, Sasuke could see silvery white mushrooms growing among the roots of a few trees.

The mushrooms, Cesly had said, would lead them to the right path, and that they need only to follow them. Kakashi seemed doubtful at first, but when they saw the mushrooms magically pop into existence the moment they entered the treeline and vanished when they had gone past, the Sonata captain wordlessly led them through the woods, following the thin, silvery white trail. Cesly hummed and danced among them, answering questions when they asked.

"We are here! We are here!" Cesly flew straight to Kakashi, clapping her small hands in delight. "Master will meet us here. Come humans, Cesly will show you where to rest."

All of them got off their horses and opted to walk, glad to be out of the saddle. They had been riding in a slow canter for the entire day, not stopping for breaks, eating or drinking while they rode to save time, although the asparan assured them they did not need to worry. Kakashi wanted them to go a faster pace, but the fae insisted on the slow gait. Oddly enough, no one argued with her.

Sasuke peered through the trees. The sun was already beginning to set, orange-gold light spilling from the gaps, the sky turning into different hues of pinks and purples. As it grew dim, they were surprised to find that Cesly's skin glowed like a firefly, a soft, lush green light. Kurenai told Cesly she looked very pretty, and Cesly giggled, her glow turning brighter for a moment.  
The asparan led them deeper into the woods, the trees grown so close together they had to go single file. Fortunately it was still light enough to see, so that human and horse avoided a rough stumble. Before they had gone fifty paces, they had arrived in a small clearing.

Tall pine interspersed with ash grew tightly around them. The only gap in the tree line was the one they had emerged from, as if the trees intentionally grew in such a tight circle, but allowed that small space through. The ground was covered in needles and dry leaves. The small, almost circular patch of sky looked like a cutout pasted overhead.

Cesly was already in the middle of the clearing, smiling at them as she floated five feet in the air. "Humans can rest here while master comes. Cesly will keep watch for the humans."

Kurenai looked around. "Where are we?"

Kakashi was already tying the reins of his horse to the nearest tree. "If I have read the map correctly, we should be at the very bottom of the Blackteeth mountains rearing down on us right over there." He pointed in a northerly direction. Eyes followed his hand. In the little gaps they managed to peer through the trees, there was only sky. No mountain , not even a hill. Kakashi shook his head, scratching at his left ear. "Apparently we're not."

"Silly Kakashi-human," Cesly laughed, her voice breathy and musical. "Lightning country is far behind us now. Do not frown so, Cesly speaks the truth." She smiled. "Humans should rest before master comes. He will take you to the Earth king right away."

Kakashi stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, calling Yamato and ordering him to take care of the other horses. Kurenai did her part by magically conjuring a fire in a shallow pit Sasuke dug and bordered with stones. He maybe a prince, but being in exiled had taught him many things. One of them was physical labor, although Mistress Chenley would never abide with it if she ever knew. Sasuke imagined she would have a fit if she saw him now, getting his hands dirtied and kneeling on the ground. He smirked.

Itachi saw the smirk on his brother's face and raised an eyebrow. "Do you find something amusing, Sasuke?"

"I was just thinking of Mistress Chenley."

"Ah." A smile quirked the corner of Itachi's lips, a look passing between them.

In short order everyone had gathered around the fire, sitting on blankets or dry logs while Kurenai took charge of making their dinner from the rations Mistress Chenley had generously packed for them. It was well and truly dark by now, the clearing illuminated only by the camp fire. The sky above was dark velvet dotted with stars, a low moon hanging lazily over their heads. Cesly was nowhere in sight; when Sasuke asked, Kakashi only shrugged.

"She did say she would keep watch," he said, doubt creeping into his voice. "Although how a little thing like her could do that is beyond me…"

They planned what to do next as they ate, the warm stew and hot tea melting away some of their tiredness. Kakashi still did not know where they were; judging from the distance they had traveled that day, they should have been right at the mountain's lowest slopes by now, not in the middle of a sea of trees. No one was keen enough to try wandering out of the clearing. He and Itachi were arguing about this—Cesly had warned them not to leave—when Kurenai spoke up.

"Your highness, might this not be because we traveled using magic?" she asked, red eyes unblinking.

Itachi paused. "Is that possible?" he asked, mildly. He glanced at Sasuke, who shrugged. He did not know.

Kurenai bit her bottom lip. "I don't think we used a Translocation spell. I was half-expecting it, though," she admitted.

Sasuke turned to her. "Why?"

Kurenai put down her plate and spread her hands before her. "Translocation spells are tricky, even if you know what you are doing, and they are very delicate. That is why shields and charms should be removed when casting one, to prevent accidents." She lowered her hands. "When Cesly told me not to bring up a shield and remove the warming spell, I thought she would cast a Translocation. But she never did."

Kurenai had a point. With his senses, Sasuke could feel that Cesly teemed with magic, almost as if she was made entirely from it. Casting a Translocation, even with her small size, should be possible. "But you still think we traveled using magic," he said, and Kurenai nodded. "But there are no other spells even remotely similar to Translocation."

Kurenai sighed. "I know."

Kakashi scratched at his head. "Well, you can discuss this later when Cesly comes back." He frowned at that, as if doubting the fae ever would return. "For now, I suggest everyone gets rest. Yamato, I'll take the first watch. You take second."

Yamato nodded. "Yes, sir, captain."

Sasuke was helping Kurenai clear away the plates when a bright green glow announced Cesly's arrival. She looked ecstatic, her dress fluttering as she flew. "He is here! Master is here! Master is here!" She kept repeating, twirling in the air and doing loops of excitement. She glowed even more brightly as she faced them. "Master is here!" she exclaimed yet again.

Kakashi drew back to them, watching Cesly. "Where?" he asked.

"Over here, captain."

Everybody turned. In the gap between the trees, beyond the circle of light, a figure loomed against the dark, hidden in shadow. Cesly cheered, her voice tinkling, as she flew to him, the green glow of her skin casting her master in a wash of jade.

Shin Tavelor had been right in guessing his age. He was probably no older than Sasuke, although he was taller by a head, his shoulders wider. He was not well-built, nor was he slender like the young prince, but somewhere in between. He wore a billowing black cloak that opened partly in front, showing heavy, black leather boots and just as black trousers. Even his upper garments were all black, as were his gloves, open-fingered to show human hands. A head of golden yellow hair in short spikes adorned a face that grinned widely at them, stretching what appeared to be three thin scars on each cheek. Blue eyes twinkled almost as much as Cesly's black ones. "So you're the ones I have to take to Gaara, right? I didn't think there would be this few of you."

Itachi stirred. "You were expecting a larger party?"

The stranger shrugged as he walked nearer, and without further ado flopped down on a spread blanket. He seemed not to notice that everyone was still staring at him. "Two of you are princes, right?" He turned to look at each one, then pointed. "I'm guessing you and you. You like alike, and seem royalty enough." He grinned again. "Am I right?"

Sasuke's stare turned into a warning glare, while Itachi only raised an eyebrow, his face betraying nothing. Kurenai gaped at him, aghast at his insolent behavior. Kakashi and Yamato just stared at him, as if they could not believe what he just said. Itachi and Sasuke…seem royalty enough? They are of Uchiha blood, for spirit's sake! Not even being in hiding for years could diminish their nobility! Kakashi could already sense Sasuke's anger boiling underneath the surface. He glanced at the younger prince and mentally sighed. Sure enough, he was glaring so much at the newcomer that Kakashi thought he might flay his hide just by looking.

The stranger did not pay Sasuke any attention, though. Neither was Cesly, who flittered excitedly this way and that, but near enough to her master that his face was washed in her green glow. "Cesly missed master!" she sighed in her singsong voice. "But Cesly kept her promise, she did."

The stranger laughed. "Yes you did, Cesly. I'm proud of you."

The asparan puffed her chest in pride, then giggled, hiding her face in her master's hair. The stranger looked up then, noticing the stares. "What?"

Sasuke chose to speak up first. He stood before him and glared imperiously down. "Who are you?" he asked, short of demanding.

The stranger blinked, then broke into a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I?" Cesly giggled beside him, saying her master was very silly sometimes. "My name is Naruto." He did not stand up, nor did he offer his hand. He only sat there and grinned like an idiot.

Sasuke decided right then and there that he hated him.

Naruto seemed unaffected by Sasuke's hot, angry glare. Instead he turned to each one of them, asking their names. When he got to Itachi he smiled again. "So…you're thinking of taking back Sound from the Snake lord, huh?"

Itachi shrugged. "Perhaps. Though I cannot see why this would be any of your business," he added, his tone light. Sasuke inwardly smirked.

But Naruto did not seem offended in the least. He raised both hands in a peaceful gesture. "True, true, but in my opinion, if you want to take back the throne, you'll need more than Gaara's help. Orochimaru is a warlock, and he isn't your run-of-the-mill type, either. Still," he added, stretching more to get comfortable, "going to Gaara is probably the best." Cesly settled herself on his shoulder, perched daintily there while one hand grabbed a hold of Naruto's ear to keep her steady.

Itachi did not reply. He stared at Naruto for a few moments longer before he turned to the camp fire again, thinking. Sasuke sat beside him, still casting heated glares at Naruto. Kurenai took over taking the plates and cleaning them off with magic. Kakashi stood where he was, watching Naruto. After a while he spoke.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Naruto craned his neck to look at Kakashi. "Go ahead."

"Are you from Earth country?"

Naruto grinned. "Nah. But I'm staying there at the moment."

Kakashi glanced at the asparan sitting on Naruto's shoulder, and the young man seemed to understand. He said, "I met Cesly while I was in Fire country—you know, I was curious to see what the merchant caravan from Hidden Leaf looked like, so I went there. Cesly was wounded when I found her."

"Cesly would have died if master did not find me," Cesly sighed, patting Naruto's ear. "Master took Cesly and saved her life."  
Naruto only grinned sheepishly. "Now Cesly goes wherever I go. Mostly she has to hide, though; the mainland's not used to seeing fae."

Kakashi's shoulders slumped. "So you're not from Hidden Leaf?"

Naruto laughed. "Why would you think that?" he asked, at the same moment that Sasuke asked, "Where are your tails?"

Naruto turned to Sasuke then, blue eyes baffled. "My tails?"

Kakashi explained about how Gaara's letter came to them, delivered by a man in a black coat with four fox tails. Naruto grinned apologetically. "Sorry. I thought I would catch the man's attention if I appeared…intimidating."

Sasuke stared at him. Appear intimidating by playing a prank? "That's stupid," he said suddenly, without thinking. Beside him Itachi froze, glancing at Sasuke, who in turn looked away, shame diffusing a touch of pink in his cheeks, hidden by the night.

Naruto's smile faded. His brow furrowed, blue eyes narrowing slightly. "What is wrong with you? Ever since I arrived you've been acting like something crawled up your ass and died there."

Several tin plates clattered loudly as they slid from Kurenai's hands. She was staring incredulously at Naruto. Yamato stared too, pausing in the middle of brushing down the horses nearby. Kakashi gave Naruto a weighing look, though he did not look the least bit surprised. Itachi…Itachi was looking between Naruto and Sasuke, his face devoid of anything, although Sasuke could swear he had smirked for a moment. That couldn't have been right though; maybe the light was playing tricks on him.

Cesly giggled on her perch. That seemed to stir Kurenai to action, and she swooped down on Naruto like a red-eyed hawk, an angry frown on her face. "You should not talk to the prince like that!" she snapped, pointing a finger at him. She continued lecturing him in a stern tone, emphasizing again and again that no matter who Naruto was, he should give the respect Sasuke deserved as a legitimate prince of Sound. The young man let her drone on, a slight frown transfixed on his face.

Cesly watched Kurenai, interest piqued. Were humans from the Outside all like this? she wondered. Upset easily because of a small matter of addressing a human prince? She glanced at her master's face, frowning slightly. Well, at least he was not angry. Cesly contented herself with watching Kurenai lecture up a storm before huffing away, stowing the plates away in one of the packs.

Sasuke watched darkly from his seat, the sight of Kurenai lecturing the idiot bringing a slight sense of satisfaction in him, childish as it may seem. He did not hold back the smirk on his face even though Naruto never looked in his direction the entire time.

As he watched Sasuke remembered the asparan's answer to one of his questions. He observed Naruto intently. He looked like any ordinary human, from the rounded ears to the tanned hands. Except he had never seen anyone with a combination of yellow-gold hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin before. He frowned. Nor had he met anyone as rude and barbaric as Naruto. Even the Sonatas and the servants, though born from common blood, treated him with respect, sometimes with awed reverence, though not as much as they did Itachi. Or his parents.

When Kurenai had stalked off Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "The way she ranted at me, you'd think I drowned kits for fun," he mumbled, Cesly murmuring her agreement. He looked up to see Sasuke and Itachi staring at him. He shrugged. "I hope you're not planning on staying the night here. I was planning on Translocating all of us straight into Earth kingdom after you've all rested a bit. Cesly told me you rode all day."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Is there any particular reason why we shouldn't stay?"

Naruto blinked at him. He turned to the asparan on his shoulder. "You didn't tell them, Cesly?"

The asparan shook her head…looking much too innocent. "Cesly did not think it was important. Cesly thinks it is silly to be afraid of the forest, she does."

A prickly feeling crept up Sasuke's spine despite himself. He frowned at the asparan and her master. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto seemed torn between answering and keeping his mouth shut. Sasuke's glare, however, pressed him into talking. "I told you I would meet you at the border. We're in the forest directly south of the border of Water country."

Yamato, who had just finished brushing down the horses for the night, almost slipped as he sat on the log, looking incredulously at Naruto. "That's impossible! Water kingdom is hundreds of miles from Lightning—it would take days of hard riding for us to reach that far."

Naruto shrugged. "You walked that entire distance the whole day," he answered. When Kurenai demanded to know how, Naruto only grinned at her and said, "It's a trick I learned from a few friends."

Sasuke frowned. Naruto said they were near the southern border of Water. Wait a minute. He stood up abruptly, everyone staring at him. Itachi looked at his younger brother. "Sasuke?"

But Sasuke did not acknowledge that he heard. Instead he glared all the harder at Naruto, not caring that he looked ready to bite. "Why did you bring us here?" he demanded angrily.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "I knew you would react like this," he muttered, then said more loudly, "Relax, prince. You're perfectly safe. The whole clearing is set up with wards."

"Wards?" Kurenai repeated, frowning. "Why?"

"You worry too much," Naruto began, but Sasuke overrode him.

"Worry too much? You idiot, you practically led us into a death trap!" Sasuke snapped. He turned to his companions. "I know where we are. **He** ," he said, pointing at Naruto, "led us to Whisper Woods."

Silence. Naruto sighed under his breath, bracing himself for what would come next…

Sure enough, Kurenai exploded on him while Itachi and Kakashi wore frowns on their faces. Sasuke just scowled at him. Kurenai was practically shaking him, grabbing his cloak and almost screaming in his face. Yamato stared grimly at the fire, almost as if seeing his death in the flames.

Kurenai looked ready to tear him to shreds. "You brainless oaf! Why did you let your little creature lead us here? Whisper Woods? Are you planning to get us all killed?" She had heard the stories; no one who came into Whisper Woods got out alive, or even intact. Whenever travelers or hare-brained fools wandered into the woods, bloody, mangled corpses would appear near the edge of the trees the next day. Or pieces of corpses. Sometimes only tattered clothes would be left behind.

Numerous soldiers and mages have tried to rid the woods of this dangerous threat, but none have succeeded in all of both Sound and Water's history. Whisper Woods lay right between the to kingdoms, covering what should have been the shortest and direct route between the countries, but because of whatever man-eating creatures that lurked inside, the road had to swing in a northeasterly arc, circling the forest and part of the Blackteeth range. The dangers of Whisper Woods became such that there was no need to issue a decree that the woods were forbidden grounds.

And this fool Naruto led them straight into it. Sasuke was right to hate him.

What made matters worse—and Sasuke scowl even further—was that rather than taking Kurenai's tirade in silent humiliation, the idiot had the gall to shout right back, his face red with anger. "Calm down, you fool woman! I know what I'm doing!"

"Hah! If you knew what you were doing we would not be here, in the middle of the Whisper Woods!"

Naruto growled in frustration. "Will you stop screaming so that I could explain? Didn't I tell you there are wards around this clearing?"

"Don't act all-knowing with me," Kurenai snorted. "I know for a fact that no kind of ward or shielding could protect us from—"

Naruto scrubbed at his face with a hand and sighed in annoyance. Cesly, sensing his distress, fluttered off his shoulder and patted his head with a sad frown. Sasuke stared incredulously at her. "Like I said, shut up and let me explain!" He glared at Kurenai, who seemed startled by the glare, and sat down on a log. Naruto puffed out a breath.

"Now. Like I said, I put a ward around the clearing—a ward, mage Kurenai, and you'd better believe it," he added firmly when he saw Kurenai opening her mouth to retort. His blue eyes stared hard at her until she clicked her mouth shut, glaring at him. Naruto did not seem fazed by her red stare. Instead he continued on.

"Yes, the ward is not common knowledge, but it will do its job," he said, his voice firm, serious. There was no grin on his face. 

"After an hour we can go. When the time comes, everyone should gather around me in a tight circle. You know how Translocation works, so I don't need to go into details." He looked at each of them in turn. "Any questions?"

"Yes," Kakashi quipped, rather cheerfully, which led Sasuke to doubt if the man still had his sanity intact. "Why did you lead us here?"

Naruto shrugged, his anger deflating. "It's the last place Orochimaru would think to look for you. I thought it was the safest route to take," he added. Behind him, Kurenai seemed to choke on air, her lips slowly mouthing the words, _'safest route'_? disbelief written all over her face.

Surprisingly—or maybe unsurprisingly, given the man's tendencies to think up dastardly plans himself—Kakashi nodded in understanding. He looked at Naruto, his one visible eye slightly narrowed. "And you are sure you can take the princes to Earth safely?" he asked, stressing the last word.

Naruto smirked confidently. "Of course!"

For a moment Sasuke thought Kakashi would get up and smack the idiot upside the head, but then the Sonata captain only nodded, his eye crinkled visibly into a smile. "That's good then. However Master Naruto—"

"Naruto is fine."

"Then…Naruto, the moment one hair on their heads is harmed, I will personally skin and gut you with a knife and hang your sorry hide out to dry," Kakashi continued, his voice cheery. "Is that understood?"

Sasuke was satisfied to hear Naruto's laugh shake every so slightly. "Yeah. Sure, captain."

"Ah, you can call me Kakashi."

"Er…right."

#### Ill Met by Moonlight

The horses seemed to pick up their tension, because they whinnied in fear, heads rearing. Yamato and Kakashi both tried to calm their down, holding onto the reins tightly to keep them from running. Between them and Naruto, the two princes and Kurenai stood together. The camp fire had been snuffed out and buried. Only the silvery light of the pale moon and Cesly's own glow illuminated their faces and hardened eyes. No one spoke a word unless it was Kakashi mumbling soft cooing noises to the horses, or Naruto mumbling something under his breath.

"Is the ward still up?" Kurenai asked suddenly, her voice tremulous. Her scarlet eyes seemed black in the semi-darkness.

"Yes," Naruto answered, "But it won't be up for much longer." That answer sorely tempted Sasuke to bring out his Sharingan so that he could at least see. But Itachi stood stoically beside him, seemingly unfazed, his eyes the same onyx black. Sasuke gritted his teeth.

Maybe it was the trick of the moonlight, but Sasuke thought he saw vague shapes darting between the trees. More were flitting across the only gap in the tree line. Fear twisted his insides horribly. His clenched fists started to shake. "Is the Translocation spell ready yet?" he asked in an angry hiss.

"Nearly," Naruto replied, annoyance edging his tone. "I just need to let the ward fade completely so I can release it."

Cesly flew over their heads. Remarkably, her green glow felt like a comfort, although she was not smiling. "Master, they are coming." She tilted her head, as if listening. "They want the humans, they do."

Kurenai moaned somewhere behind Sasuke. Two of the horses whinnied again, sensing her distress. Itachi moved closer to Kurenai and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kurenai," was all he said.

The mage sucked in a sharp breath and looked at the First Prince, her face turning into a resolute, hard expression. She nodded, a slight inclination of her head, yet that seemed enough to Itachi, because he let her go and returned to Sasuke's side.  
Sasuke felt Itachi's warm hand closing softly on his left shoulder, and he felt the fear subside into something more manageable. Straightening, Sasuke steeled himself, wishing he had a sword in hand.

"The ward is gone," Naruto said, although Sasuke could see, hear, or feel nothing. The clearing was silent.

Then the whispers came.

_Give us flesh, tender and warm and gliding smoothly down our throats, the smell rich and enticing with blood rich blood warm blood let us drink more give us more rip out their hearts and suck on their bones and hear them scream while we devour their flesh and oh we want to hear their dying screams that make us laugh give us flesh to rip and chew and blood to drink and savor we want to break their bones and hear their madness give us_ —It was a feverish mantra that started as a soft buzzing and grew to a crescendo around them, feverish and mad. Sasuke gasped, and he could see Itachi tensing beside him. Kurenai whimpered, but she did not run. The horses were suddenly frantic, and it took all of Kakashi and Yamato not to have them loose.  
Kakashi's voice suddenly bellowed over the maddening whispers as Sasuke saw writhing shadows bleed into the clearing, velvet black against the silvery light of the moon. "Translocate us NOW!"

A small ball of light bloomed between Naruto's opened palms. "Ready!" he screamed above the mad voices. Sasuke could see the mass of shadows lunge at them suddenly, as if realizing its prey was going to escape. He opened his mouth to scream at his brother to run.

There was a flash of brilliant white light so fierce it blinded Sasuke momentarily. He snapped his eyes shut, stinging, raising his hands before him to fight off the shadows. He waited.

Nothing happened.

Sasuke blinked several times before opening his eyes. Disoriented, at first he did not notice that they were not in the clearing any longer. The horses have calmed down considerably. Only Kurenai's gray mare was still whinnying in fear. When the clop of horse hooves against stone met his ears, Sasuke looked up. They were in the middle of a small courtyard paved in stone. No trees, no shadows, no voices.

Where the hell…?

"Finally! It took you long enough," said a dry, female voice somewhere to his left. Sasuke turned to see a young woman near Itachi's age, wearing baggy silk trousers in deep purple that closed over her ankles, and a matching purple silk blouse with just as baggy sleeves that closed over her wrists. Delicate pale cream lace spilled over her breast, and a matching purple cape hung on one shoulder, trimmed in silver. She wore an impatient frown on her face, a golden coronet on her brow. Her sandy blonde hair was parted into four sections and tied behind her. There was a jeweled dagger hanging by her hip.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose. The woman was frowning at Naruto, completely ignoring the rest of the party. She ignored her escort just as easily: two female servants in plain cotton white baggy trousers and blouses almost similar to the woman's, though with no trace of lace or lining. They were barefoot, compared to the woman who wore bright yellow silk slippers that tapered to a point. Behind them were two soldiers in the same baggy trousers and sleeved shirts in pristine white. The lower half of their faces covered with a white cloth, and large scimitars hung on their waists. They carried bucklers and halberds in their hands, the blade gleaming sliver-blue in the moonlight.

Naruto's nervous laugh startled Sasuke from his observations. The idiot was grinning sheepishly at the woman who had spoken. "Sorry, Temari. I had something to take care of before I could get a hold of them." Sasuke glared at the idiot's back. He talked about Sasuke and the others like they were some…some package he had to deliver!

"Temari? As in Princess Temari Sabaku?"

Sasuke looked up at his brother, his eyes slightly widening in surprise, before looking back at the richly dressed woman. He noted the sandy blond hair again, the impatient expression. Then it clicked. It was her. Gaara's older sister.

Princess Temari's frown was replaced with a smile. "Hello, Itachi. It's nice to finally see that you are alive, instead of just hearing the odd rumor here and there." She turned to Sasuke. "Hello, Sasuke."

Years of childhood training ingrained into his bones immediately snapped Sasuke's spine rigidly straight, and he bent his lower body until it was almost parallel to the ground. "Greetings, princess."

Temari's eyebrow rose, but the smile on her lips did not fade. "It's nice to see you too, Sasuke. How was your trip?"

Sasuke straightened and glanced at Naruto, who blinked at him. "It was…eventful, yet fine."

Temari gave him a look, then turned to Naruto. "Alright. Spill, Naruto. Where did you make Cesly lead them?"

The asparan was fluttering a little ways from Naruto, watching the entire thing with a mischievous grin. Naruto stepped back from the princess, who had advanced on him with narrowed eyes. The soldiers and the servants behind her stayed where they were. "Er…"

Temari's mouth was now in a thin line. "Where?"

Naruto swallowed audibly. "Whisper Woods, ma'am."

What happened next made Sasuke stare so hard his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The princess— **princess** —clenched her left hand into a fist and punched Naruto hard on the face, sending the young man stumbling back a few paces. Itachi's face was as expressionless as ever, yet both his eyebrows rose almost to his hairline.

Kakashi chuckled, and Kurenai sniffed, though a smile curved her lips slightly. Yamato whistled under his breath.

"You sand-brained moron! Of all the stupid, dangerous—what the devil were you thinking?" she yelled at him, angrily, even as Naruto moaned with pain, doubling over. Temari sniffed. "Serves you right. You could have had them killed!"

Naruto winced as he glared mulishly at the princess. "I already told Gaara about the plan. He agreed."

Temari's eyes grew wide, her nostrils flaring. "Gaara did what?" She turned heel and walked quickly, through one of the walkways that headed out of the courtyard, her servants and guard following along at a jog.

Naruto cursed under his breath, straightening, one hand still on his stomach. Great; that will leave a bruise come morning. He turned to Sasuke's group. "You should follow her. Temari's heading to Gaara's chambers anyway. It's best if you sorted this out now." He turned in the other direction, Cesly following behind him, giggling.

Sasuke stared at him. "Wait! Are you not supposed to escort us there?"

Naruto turned just long enough to snort and look at Sasuke as if he'd gone mad. "I'm not a servant, prince. My job here is done; you should hurry after Temari—this palace has too many corridors and hallways you'd be liable to get lost if you don't hurry." Then he turned and walked rather wobbly away, Cesly's musical and whispery voice murmuring something in his ear.

As Kakashi handed the horses to a groom passing through and led the way to the path Princess Temari had stalked through, an image of Naruto's face flashed in Sasuke's mind.

Oh yes, the prince decided, he hated the idiot through and through, no two ways about it.#


End file.
